Why pay $30+ for a bra only to destroy it in the washer, and worse, in the dryer? Most people don't realize why handwashing is so important, but it can significantly increase the life of your bras and other lingerie. And choosing the right detergent etc. for the bra is equally important. Here are some tips to assist.

Steps

1

Pre-treat for stain removal. If needed, pre-treat the bra for stain removal with some sort of spray-on pretreatment. Zout and OXYclean are good options.

2

Fill the plastic basin or tub with warm water.

3

Add 1/4 cup of detergent to the water. If washing silk or silk-like material, use gentle lingerie wash (like Woolite or the washes that GapBody and sometimes Victoria's Secret sell) or shampoo to avoid damaging the material. If your bra is made of cotton,your regular detergent should be fine.

4

If your bra is white, and you feel compelled to bleach it, add about a teaspoon of bleach to the water. If you use bleach, wear rubber gloves while washing to avoid harming your skin.

5

Add bra. Let the bra soak for 10-15 minutes in the wash water, occasionally agitating the water and scrubbing with your fingers the areas that have the most wear (the underarms, back clasp, the straps.)

6

To rinse, remove the bra and let cold/warm water run through it, keeping the shape of the bra in tact. You may also soak the bra in clean water to ensure that you get all the soap out.

7

Drying your bra: DO NOT WRING OUT THE CUPS OR MISSHAPE THEM IN ANYWAY. Unless your bra is unlined, this can legitimately damage your bra. In order to dry your bra properly, lay it flat on the end of a dry towel.

8

Fold the towel over the bra, and repeat several times so that you've gently rolled the bra in the towel.

9

Gently apply pressure to the bra inside the towel to remove excess water from the bra.

10

Remove the bra from the towel.

11

Once removed, hang the bra or lay flat on a dry towel. If you lay flat on a table in front of a fan, the bra will dry more quickly.